Monday, January 22, 2018

21 Ways To Save Cash On Grocery Bills

Feeding yourself and your family can be really expensive. A tight budget shouldn't mean that you can't eat well though. There are many things you can do that will help save some money on food. The more you do these things, the more you will reap the results. Some things cost more money upfront but save over the long run and some are instant money savers.

1. Buy In Season

To save the most money, buy mostly produce that is in season in your area. You'll save money and enjoy better-tasting foods. This handy guide not only tells you when it is in season, but how to cook it too!

2. Buy In Bulk

Buying things like grains and potatoes in bulk will save you money in the long run.

3. Know What To Look For

Sometimes buying fruits and vegetables is a guessing game. Is this ripe? Too ripe? This helpful guide can show you what optimal produce should look like. You'll never buy an overripe melon again.

4. Ripen Up Produce

It can be super frustrating to buy things that won't be ready to eat until next week. Learn how to store things to get them to ripen up fast here.

5. Cook It Right

Grains are a great addition to bulk up meals but they can be tricky to cook properly. Nobody wants to eat overcooked rice or beans so save yourself from throwing away food by using this guide to cook it right the first time.

6. Is It Safe?

"Best by" and "sell by" dates are just a suggestion and a best guess. Don't throw away perfectly good foods because the label says so. Use a guide like this one, which can tell you what foods last forever and which ones you should err on the side of caution with.

7. Store Meats Properly

Keep your expensive meats from spoiling by storing them in the proper places in the refrigerator or freezer. Here is a helpful guide to keeping things safe.

8. Give Produce The Same Consideration

Storing produce on the counter, in the crisper or in the cupboard makes a difference. Find out which foods go where with this guide.

9. Use Sand

You're probably thinking this is super weird, but by storing root vegetables in sand, you can preserve them for a very, very long time. If it is good enough for farmers then it should be good enough for your kitchen.

10. Put Paper Bags To Work

Not a fan of sand? You can store onions, garlic and shallots in paper bags instead.

11. Take To The Freezer

Buying in bulk also means freezing things to make them last longer. Buy in-season fruits and freeze them using this guide as reference.

12. Freeze Meats

Portion out your meats before freezing so that you can take out only what you need when you need it.

13. Make Your Own Baby Food

Baby food is crazy expensive. Puree your own and freeze it in ice cube trays for a healthy, inexpensive alternative.

14. Freeze Smoothie Ingredients

Freeze things like spinach and greens for making smoothies. Keep it whole or pre-puree it.

15. Single-Serve Herbs

Freeze things like herbs or green onions flat then put them into an empty water bottle for storage. You can pour out just what you need and put the rest back in the freezer for next time.

16. Preserve Celery In The Refrigerator

Wrap celery in aluminum foil to keep your celery lasting longer.

17. Avocado Knowledge

Usually you want an avocado the day you buy it. Here's how to tell if it's ripe enough.

18. Store Food In Glass

Glass jars are reusable, don't get smelly like plastic, and won't warp in the microwave.

19. Grow Your Own

Use the ends of the produce you buy to regrow your own. Green onion, lettuce and celery are great options that grow in only water.

20. Double Your Butter

Whip butter with water to make it easier to spread and last longer. Don't use it for baking though—the moisture content will make things turn out improperly.

21. Last-Minute Milk Use

Milk about to expire? Freeze it with some crushed Oreos for amazing iced coffee.